April 02, 2010

Visit the Lady Beside the Golden Door: Lady Liberty

Have you ever visited the Statue of Liberty? It's an amazingly emotional and beautiful place and Liberty Island (which you get to by ferry from either New York or New Jersey) has the most spectacular views of both New York Harbor and the Manhattan skyline. Last fall I spent three
days in New Jersey shooting the statue and visiting the area. I have
never been more moved by a single photographic subject in my life.
Something about seeing that face in person (it was my first time on
Liberty Island, though of course I'd see her from Manhattan hundreds of
times) really shook me to my core.

The idea that she was the first
vision of America that millions of immigrants (including my grandfather)
saw hit me profoundly when the ferry first brought us close to her. I
had an extraordinary first day there--it was baking hot and then we were
hit by a rollicking thunderstorm. And as much as I tried to concentrate
on photographing her, I could not shake this feeling that I was meant
to step on that island, meant to look her in the face and meant to be
there with a camera. When you go there, you are surrounded by thousands
of people, most of whom, I think, are having the exact same experience:
awe that such an amazing country exists and that such a fabulous work of
art welcomes everyone. If you have never been there, go this summer.
Take your kids, or take your parents--or both. You will never be the
same.

By the way, I created this photo using a combination of
Photoshop color tools (including the channel mixer) and created the lighting
effect using the--what else?--the lighting effects filter. Just playing
and having fun. Also, today's Black
Star Rising blog features two of my Liberty collages. Black Star is
the greatest photojournalism agency in history and they have a really
great and interesting blog.